UNOFICCIAL: Suggestion thread Post Party.

More info comes. Hang on to your flux capacitors, this post will look half made for a little while. I save as I go.

I am not crew or mod, just so we're clear on this.

Hi everybody.

I'm not a "veteran" (10+ years) per se, but this was my seventh TG. As such, I feel I can make up my mind on the various subtle differences between each party, even though I realize I have no way (or real need) of knowing how every decision is made, and how every action by hosts and various organizers is explained. This is my one and last disclaimer, and it can and will be extended if need be to allow me to speak freely within reason and normal conversational etiquette...

I have trawled the website for a "suggestions box", and as no such box has been found neither here on the forums nor on the main site, I feel it's about time somebody made one. So this is it.

In this thread, until the responsible parties create a proper channel for receiving and replying to suggestions and feedback, you as a participant can post serious, well worded complaints, suggestions or miscellanea (random stuff) regarding how this year's TG was arranged.

In addition, I would like you to ask questions to the hosts, as long as all questions, and all suggestions etc. are written in a POLITE AND DECENT MANNER. No "sucking" or "sh*t" or "f*king terrible" in this thread please. Only serious posts.

egg
I would like to start out by congratulating the organizers on a (nearly) finished party. All the hard work and hours of planning are not invisible to us participants.

Furthermore, I want to say that for the most part, I have felt both safe and happy, during this year's event.

But I have to ask a few questions and concerns, and I think they should be public, because I know I'm not the only one who feels this way.

There was very little information regarding what the RFID-tags in the wristbands were to be used for. I for one, am not very happy with being tagged digitally, and only sparingly use my real name online, never give out my phone number unless I have to, don't use facebook etc. At this event, I have gathered that the tags were used for fire safety purposes. In case of an emergency evacuation, the tags would help in finding who had made it outside, and who was still inside. This information could technically be useful, if the scanners were at all reliable. But there is indeed a huge difference between "the tag is for fire safety" and "this is for your own protection". One is reasonable and just, the other is a carte blanche to use and release information as anyone sees fit.

In the case that the tags were used to, quote unquote "improve participant experience" by finding out how many where in the ship at any time, in order to plan future events based more on actual user data, this has not come across, and I am not comfortable while being in the gray area that is speculation.

"Speculation" brings me onto my next point.

Information flow:

In previous years, all crew has appeared briefed on most subjects they may be asked, and if not, have known where to redirect querying participants. In many cases this year, this has probably been true, but the divide between "crew" and "participant" has never felt greater. I understand that there are many things going on behind the scenes, and that crew is therefore often busy doing "crew stuff". But where is the participant ombudsman? Previously, the ombudsman has been seen walking around, speaking to as many people as possible. There was never any doubt where to go if you had a sensitive issue, or whether you would be taken seriously if you did. Heck, there wasn't even the feeling that "only so and so serious things may be brought to the ombudsman" that is this year. she/he was there for YOU, the participant. Not for the crew. So to put it in plain terms: the ombudsman MUST be visible, and MUST during the party be equally available as any other division of the crew. If need be, expand the position in numbers to cover more ground.

The websites are often touted as having the "only official information". As such, this year they have more resembled a clickbait newspaper than an official information organ. Content is untidy and one dimensionally presented (it only goes down), there have been few "sticky" articles, and finding content again hasn't been intuitive. There is a separate suggestions form for the website, so I'll leave it at that for now.

(also, the "info board" showed that nerdswim was on thursday, while the website and history now show it was on friday. Dissonance between the few official channels available is not fortunate.)

Speakers and lectures:

In previous years, (and I know my overuse of this term has probably already put me on somebody's badlist) there have been a plethora of incredibly interesting lectures, events and speeches, made by people from all sides of the computing world. From copyright lawyers to pirate party organizers. From microsoft engineers to grayhat hackers. The topics covered by this incredible ensemble of people has ranged from "why pirating hurts the <insert client here> business" to "how to break into NSA using a toothpick and a car battery".

Largely, this year speeches and lectures have either been in the teeny tiny creativia area, or in the auditorium. Subjects have overlapped in different locations at concurrent times, and although some events were announced over the PA system, the lack of things happening on stage has caused the other talks to suffer, in my humble opinion.

Stage:

This year, there have been some speeches, some lectures and some gameshows, but the stage has mostly been disused. I have no doubt it is one of the more expensive pieces of rented hardware this year, judging from the mad volume supplied during concerts. Use the stage for talks! It's an immediate eye catcher for anyone who walks through the Ship, and as such is perfect for "big ticket" people, and subjects that appear to be of common interest. So: use the stage more. It has huge projected screens and there is no lack of entertaining things to do with it.

Concerts:

This was, unless I've grossly misunderstood the value of a recognized artist, probably the single largest expense this year, barring hardware and utilities. For some, it was a good decision to have a concert each day. For others, this was mostly a nuisance. I am not opposed to concerts at The Gathering as a concept. It's a refreshing diversion from the usual fare. But one every single night seems a bit overkill to me. It is no doubt meant to impress both participants and viewers online with how much cool stuff happens here, but if there is any possibility of rerouting "performing artist pay" into any other post on the budget, I am sure the results will reflect in future submitted suggestions. In short: less concerts, more action.

Decorations:

Which decorations? The theme for the year was no doubt based on the year in "back to the future II" and I've seen flux capacitors mentioned once. On a 404 page. That, i believe, concludes the play on time travel, retrofuturism etc. Previous years have proven to be rife with excellent uses of the theme, such as the year my avatar was made, when there were "icicles" and "fire" in various areas of the Ship. During Submerged (2010) giant luminescent jellyfish crowned the party. During The End of the Universe (2012) the Whale was seen floating in the air, and there was an actual restaurant that served beef. (well played, really)

There are probably copyright concerns in using effects and subjects from a big movie, and these can put a stop to well intentioned decorations and such. However, NO decorations is never better than FEW decorations.

Studio/feeds:

Why use Twitch? When streaming internally, the feed is delayed with varying degrees depending on a multitude of factors. Me and two other participants next to me were watching the same feed, on current computers, and the feed was visibly delayed a couple seconds differently for all of us.

I cannot see why using an external server to host an internal feed makes sense, and why the feed isn't split in two parts, one hosted locally, and one externally for other viewers.

Chillout:

Previously, the Chillout Lounge has been a vast area for relaxation, respite and recuperation. There has been fresh fruit in abundance, water refills and no lack of distractions. There have been cinemas in makeshift dark rooms, two floor setups with differing uses, boardgames for loan, consoles for play etc. This year, it was merely a corner of a turn, with a carpet and some tables and chairs. I am maybe one who complains, but honestly, this seems both rushed and like poor planning. No matter what interpretation of "chill" you choose, an open area that is no different from the cafe apart from food selection, does not fill most people's definition of relaxing. Where did the bean bags go? The couches?

Shops:

So... Many... Sponsored... Items...

This is a computer party, not a lan party. Not a LOL/CSGO/Starcraft tournament. Not an Esport masterclass. A computer party.

So lay off the sponsor sauce, bring back the cheesy demos and nerdy references, please stop pandering to the gamers over the rest of us, and good luck.

That's all I can think of now.

Thanks for reading if you got all the way to the bottom without missing the easter egg.

TL;DR: I have issues with the way things are run. I want to air these issues and have them heard. Many things can be changed. Many things have good reasons. I want a dialogue. Kthxbai.

Thank you all who were here, either in person or spirit. And thanks to all organizers and hosts and sponsors for this year's easter holiday. I WILL come back, come hell or high water. Actually, especially then.

First of all, the bass to treble ratio was way off. From where I was seated (r76s59) I could only hear the bass. So if they turned down the bass a bit and maybe used the speakers mounted in the roof for treble, it would make it way more enjoyable to listen to the music played on stage.

Secondly, I do recall that someone, somewhere wrote that The Gathering would play music, so the participants wouldn't need to bring riggs suited for larger concerts, but I can't say that they played any music at all. Kinda sucks, since eventhough it was nice not having to shout when I speak to someone, it's not TG to not have a playlist blasting in the background.

Next Year: The best gathering yet?

Hello,

I'm a first timer in the ship this year, although I've been watching the stream since 2010 (Kinda sad, i haven't been able to go before, but oh well.) and i think in five years of observing, i have picked up a handful of differences between the previous gatherings and TG15. And I'm coming back next year, and i want the best TG it can ever be, not some half-assed attempt like i feel this was. :/

1.
The last night, was a proper anticlimax, there was a massive tension between the crew and the participants, totally not cool. I won't go into detail with this, as i feel the OP has described both the problem and solution very well in his post. But tl;dr Let the people play music and the organizers must find a sleeping solution for those who drive, if that is even a problem.

2.
The total lack of a place to just chillout, hence the chillout area was just 5 tables, a horrible couch and a (broken?) arcade machine. And with no presence from the awesome people at Komplett, which also contributed as a social area, it was a hassle to meet new folks, and just chill. (Props to the cool dude i played Donkey Kong with at the 2nd floor of Noroff btw )
What i suggest: Give chillout an actual decent areal, fill it up with couches, do rad stuff.

3.
Main stage? Entertainment? Not having to deal with the whole event in English?
There was a distinct lack of entertainment, and the main stage was mostly unused, except wen they blasted the attention grabber to mostly everyone's disapproval. (seriously tho, the bass was horrible to deal with, coming from someone playing Counter Strike, kinda dependent on hearing footsteps, teammates and my own thoughts, heh. )
suggjestion: Use the main stage for more things, for instance, get the compos onto the stage, like the LoL and CS:GO finals. (just to mention some) and GET SOME HOSTS, (#BringbackKim-Daniel2k16) the gameshow this year was utterly boring for most people, and the people actually watching it was at most.. mabye 50. And just to rub it in, it had to be held in English by a pair of youtubers. I'm really having no problem with it being in english, but why are we insisting on marketing the event internationally so much? There are very few non-Norwegian people there, there are definetely some, but the majority is Norwegian. Please just translate the websites like earlier..

/rant

Also, wtf happened to the theme?
Like the theme was only present on the website. 2/10 Step up your game.

1.
No real feedback mechanics.
I don't like that this (posting on the forum) is the way they intend to get feedback, it doesn't feel reliable and certainly wasn't easy to figure out.

2.
The line to get in.
It's been better than this the last 5-6 years, real step backwards. Stood in line for over an hour.

3. (The big one)
Chillout, stores and the stage.
If I've understood this corectly, TG wanted to take extra money to rent out space this year. I honestly hope whoever had this idea get's fired, or at least a smack on the hand. Because this year was straight up boring compared to previous years. Komplet, Outland and the army decided not to show up, and hyperion set up a small camp. Whole TG felt like the same five rows over and over again, tiny. Me and my friends have been going to TG for the last 8 years, and we all agreed that next year will be our last if it ends up like this again.

Even though my personal TG experience was the best in 10 years, I still have some suggestions, questions and positive feedback.

1: Queueing, check-in, bracelets and such.
Something slowed the queue way down this year. As it was a lovely day I don't really mind, but things went notably slower this year than previous. Appart from the great queue of '09 this was the longest I have ever waited.
The RFID badges could probly have been useful, but as Crow states I was also hugely sceptic to how you track my movements. The chip was also uncomfortable and clumsy to scan wich made getting in and out of the venue (especially in a cosplay) a hassle. There are bracelets with RFID chips woven into the fabric, and if you insist on keeping the scanning system I highly recommend that you use those instead. The system of handing out T-Shirts in the store later on worked very well, as we could choose sizes and not hold up the line. Most of my TGshirts have never been worn as they are size M and I'm an XXM. I can imagine that this system (that could have been advertised better in advance) made you som extra moneys in upsales aswell.

2: The stage, Hosts, Concerts and whatnot.
I understand that there was way less activity on main stage this year due to previous complaints of way to much activity. It's not a simple feat to make everyone happy, but this year there could have been more. Lectures on main stage for instance. Afternoonish could and should be held there instead of beeing crammed up in the little TGTV studio. You have finally gotten excellent hosts, and I absolutely adore the lot of them! Put them to work! The concerts were great, I guess as I listened from my seat, but the volume during the concerts and the deafening silence after did not make sense. As a plus I acctually heard the attention grabber a few times this year. More stuff on stage and more ambient music throughout the event perhaps?

3: Competitions and composhows.
I participated in as many compos as I could summon an entry this year, and acctually got a prize in the Cosplay compo. That is, I was told I should recieve a price, but I have not gotten one as of yet. I heard alot of murmur in the hall that our 10 sec pr contestant on stage was a bit short to do a proper judging of the cosplay though, and that may be very true. In the creative competitions I felt that the infor up until the vote was more than fantastic, but as the prize ceremony began there was no way to tell who had acctually won. The voting system did not show names or nicks and stage did not show the entry. I still have no Idea who won what since the ranked entries are nowhere to be found. A ranking in UNICORN showing each contributions votes after the polls closed would also be nice for anyone that participated.
As far as I understood the shelf compo this year, It was the best format in many years, but so, so under-advertised...

4: Chillout, Infoesk, Resirk
Before reading this thread 2 days after The Gathering I was not aware that there even was a Chillout this year. With all the space made avaliable from the lack of komplett there should be no space issues. I guess someone decided it was a better idea to just cram as many participants inside and nevermind the user experience (like the 1spot 1 user rule.) I thought we had stopped this mentality when DreamHack ran away from us in the "worlds biggest" race and we made the "worlds best" race instead. Although not having a Chillout was a loss, I managed to find other ways to keep occupied, so I managed. Infoesk is getting less and less visible aswell, and I miss the golden age of having them next to the minibank or in the middle of the ship. Resirk was, as far as I could tell, totally absent this year wich was a bit odd.

5: The tension with the crew.
I can't say that I noticed this very much as I don't bring speakers or fridges, and I find most crewmembers lovely dedicated people. I was puzzled though when a sec came over and told me I could not use my 15w soldering gun as I was finishing up my cosplay. I would think that such a devise was inside the parameters of allowed powerthingies as an ultimate nerdtool. Had I been disallowed to solder on, my Tibbers would be far less spectacular with no lights, and that would be sad.

I understood that Resirk was not there because they lacked the manpower to collect and process cans and such. I asked Info : Desk about why there was no bin for recycling one of the first days, and later there were first bins on one side of the ship, and after that people walking the rows to collect recycle and refuse. I'm happy to see that there was a system for it eventually. There is enormous value in aluminium and recycled plastic, and it would be a shame for some of the smartest people in the country to overlook these values by letting it all go straight in the landfill.

Kudos for flexibility!

Regarding soldering tools, I understand your grief. If my calculations are correct (this phrase was used way too sparingly during TG) when this baby hits optimal soldering temperature, it will have a current of something like 0.0065A, or 65mA, which is well inside your allowance for one seat. I suppose the blanket ban on anything not directly computer-or-console is one of "better safe than sorry", which does make sense. It might be too hard to educate every crewmember on how electricity works with regards to power, voltage and current, although this would really solve everything. Or a multimeter clamped around "your" power cords.

Anyways, I have a proposed solution for this. When soldering and working with hot tools on metal and electronics, there are fumes, in many cases. They also tend to use a bit of electricity. How about a corner of the ship dedicated to hardware hacking? Maybe even a "candy stand" with components you could buy for a price, and soldering tools + "artisans" to help guide others in the safe use of said tools? If there was a welding stand outside the ship, I'm sure this would be populated constantly.

Regarding the stage, and the different feedback from year to year, "too much/too little" activity and so on. This is something which, as you say, is very hard to estimate beforehand. Those sitting right next to the stage might find it annoying if there is loud sound from it every moment of every day, and this I understand. There must be a compromise ready to be found in this matter. Is it possible to localize the sound more? Concert loudspeakers are excellent for throwing sound everywhere, but not very good at keeping it inside a certain invisible barrier. Sound showers? Parabolar speakers for non-music events? I have more than ten low cost ideas running in this matter as we speak, but as always "someone has to do it". Maybe a new branch of crew, dedicated to jury rigging (within regulations) equipment for experimental purposes could be installed?

Edit:

I hereby submit an official request to instate the "HACK" branch of crew, along with "INFO" "CORE" "TECH" etc.

HACK : HARDWARE - people familiar with throwing together working prototypes of electronics/woodwork and miscellanea that last at least four days and do not burst into flames.
HACK : SOFTWARE - people familiar with helping people gain access to their own systems, are good at finding problems with google fu or something. Not my field.
HACK : EMERGENCY - people on flashing scooters you can call if your computer has been dropped, or is giving off weird smells or sounds that you can't explain.
HACK : SUPPORT - people who can help with different manners of solutions as needed.

This is mostly humorous and joking, but it would be fun to have something like this.

Well, in the earlier years Komplett had Tech/Hack-support. The thing is that if your on IRC, the likelihood of finding someone with the skills to do most of isn't that hard, some will do it for free, some will take a slice of pizza or a can of soda as payment. I'm contemplaiting bringing powertools to the next TG to help people, since there's a Montér close to the Vikingskip, with a cutting room, so any quickfix-woodworks could be handled.

On the soldering and other parts, there would be need for a set space, I don't really see the use for it, but I'm not the guy that does cosplay or any other fancy light or electronics things.

I was puzzled though when a sec came over and told me I could not use my 15w soldering gun as I was finishing up my cosplay. I would think that such a devise was inside the parameters of allowed powerthingies as an ultimate nerdtool.

In previous years, (and I know my overuse of this term has probably already put me on somebody's badlist) there have been a plethora of incredibly interesting lectures, events and speeches, made by people from all sides of the computing world. From copyright lawyers to pirate party organizers. From microsoft engineers to grayhat hackers. The topics covered by this incredible ensemble of people has ranged from "why pirating hurts the <insert client here> business" to "how to break into NSA using a toothpick and a car battery".

Largely, this year speeches and lectures have either been in the teeny tiny creativia area, or in the auditorium. Subjects have overlapped in different locations at concurrent times, and although some events were announced over the PA system, the lack of things happening on stage has caused the other talks to suffer, in my humble opinion.

Stage:

This year, there have been some speeches, some lectures and some gameshows, but the stage has mostly been disused. I have no doubt it is one of the more expensive pieces of rented hardware this year, judging from the mad volume supplied during concerts. Use the stage for talks! It's an immediate eye catcher for anyone who walks through the Ship, and as such is perfect for "big ticket" people, and subjects that appear to be of common interest. So: use the stage more. It has huge projected screens and there is no lack of entertaining things to do with it.

I agree with this point, there was barely anything going on on the main stage as far as i was aware. Very few lectures aimed at the general TG participants. No comedy sketches and very few gameshows/fun and games, like i stated in another thread
Stage:

Originally Posted by Crow

Concerts:

This was, unless I've grossly misunderstood the value of a recognized artist, probably the single largest expense this year, barring hardware and utilities. For some, it was a good decision to have a concert each day. For others, this was mostly a nuisance. I am not opposed to concerts at The Gathering as a concept. It's a refreshing diversion from the usual fare. But one every single night seems a bit overkill to me. It is no doubt meant to impress both participants and viewers online with how much cool stuff happens here, but if there is any possibility of rerouting "performing artist pay" into any other post on the budget, I am sure the results will reflect in future submitted suggestions. In short: less concerts, more action.

+1 And the sound was if not too loud it was definitely calibrated wrong, it was allright for Pegboard Nerds and Miu (maybe a bit loud/ too much bass) but for the Datarock concert all you could hear was the bass, at least where i was seated.

Originally Posted by Crow

Studio/feeds:

Why use Twitch? When streaming internally, the feed is delayed with varying degrees depending on a multitude of factors. Me and two other participants next to me were watching the same feed, on current computers, and the feed was visibly delayed a couple seconds differently for all of us.

I cannot see why using an external server to host an internal feed makes sense, and why the feed isn't split in two parts, one hosted locally, and one externally for other viewers.

Previously, the Chillout Lounge has been a vast area for relaxation, respite and recuperation. There has been fresh fruit in abundance, water refills and no lack of distractions. There have been cinemas in makeshift dark rooms, two floor setups with differing uses, boardgames for loan, consoles for play etc. This year, it was merely a corner of a turn, with a carpet and some tables and chairs. I am maybe one who complains, but honestly, this seems both rushed and like poor planning. No matter what interpretation of "chill" you choose, an open area that is no different from the cafe apart from food selection, does not fill most people's definition of relaxing. Where did the bean bags go? The couches?

In addition (if its chillout that has the responsibility for cooling the "freezer inserts??") they never have enough capacity, every year its the same problem.

Originally Posted by Haikeren

#BringbackKim-Daniel2k16

No.

I feel like i needed to add something positive to this thread as well, the microwave/water boiling area was the best I've ever seen. Finally some microwave ovens that are working 100% and not missing the spinning plate inside, even the same type so you don't have to get used to a new type every time you want to cook something.

Just joining in to add a few suggestions, one that's been mentioned already is the shops.. Jeeez the shops were boring this year! Komplett took up a hell of a lot tableplaces last year, so I believe it was sort of overkill (my first year so I ain't going to comment much on it since I haven't seen the previous ones) all I know is I made it to The Gathering this year because of the extra spots komplett didn't take (A)

They should still have a shop or .. "showoff" area next year ;D

Another suggestion is a chat..
Why is there no open TG chats??
Ok, I understand it's easy to go around and talk, but an open chat for everybody would be epic !
Couple of categories, such as "gaming", "randomness", "Empty your mind"..w/e xD
Missed the chat when I was kicked out of twitch when there wasn't any streams on

Edit... Realized it was awkward to write a chat when I'd forgotten about the IRC ._.
Didn't really know what it was and didn't look it up either >_< Nvm!!

Just joining in to add a few suggestions, one that's been mentioned already is the shops.. Jeeez the shops were boring this year! Komplett took up a hell of a lot tableplaces last year, so I believe it was sort of overkill (my first year so I ain't going to comment much on it since I haven't seen the previous ones) all I know is I made it to The Gathering this year because of the extra spots komplett didn't take (A)

They should still have a shop or .. "showoff" area next year ;D

Another suggestion is a chat..
Why is there no open TG chats??
Ok, I understand it's easy to go around and talk, but an open chat for everybody would be epic !
Couple of categories, such as "gaming", "randomness", "Empty your mind"..w/e xD
Missed the chat when I was kicked out of twitch when there wasn't any streams on

IRC was active throughout most of the party, on EFnet. I'm sure you can find it on the forums for next year. Twitch chat is really not the best option.

I have to agree with DarkHarald, the water cisterns did the trick nicely, and there was mostly no wait for hot water. Also, the microwave ovens worked well. It's also nice to have a real tap for filling water bottles, instead of the splashy well-spout that has been previously.

Get an IRC client such as mIRC (haters gonna hate), irssi, weechat or similar, connect to EFnet and join #tg like roughly 600 people did at times this easter other unofficial, user created channels include #tg.salg and #tg-salg for small ads if you need a plastic fork or try to get rid of an old monitor. There are other tg related channels aswell, along with other channels with topics and peoples from around the globe. Rediscover IRC, like Colombus rediscovered America

Why use Twitch? When streaming internally, the feed is delayed with varying degrees depending on a multitude of factors. Me and two other participants next to me were watching the same feed, on current computers, and the feed was visibly delayed a couple seconds differently for all of us.

I cannot see why using an external server to host an internal feed makes sense, and why the feed isn't split in two parts, one hosted locally, and one externally for other viewers.

</snip>

Hello.

First of all i'd like to thank you for all of your suggesions!

I'm just going to throw in a quick comment about the quoted feedback.
Sure there is going to be delay when you're streaming to external servers. Especially towards twitch since they have a ~30 second delay for output.

I was not a part of the decision to use twitch, but i'm sure the decision was made to simplify the experience for all viewers and reach more of them. Both internally and externally.
It was the first year using Twitch as a streaming platform, and i'm sure the people running the show already have lots of things to improve.

When that has been said, as DarkHarald mentioned above we have always had a unicast stream run by Tech:Server which provided the same contents as the Twitch streams did.
Still - it isn't one hundred percent live due to the large amount of contents to encode etc.

Don't get me wrong, your feedback is much appreciated and will ofcourse be passed along to the correct people.

Thanks for your reply! I had a suspicion the decision to use Twitch was that of higher coverage over live coverage.
That being said, and pertaining to a different problem altogether, information on the alternatives and options regarding coverage, was not very well showcased. Did the unicast feed run on the "tgtv"-site? Was it announced in a tech blog, but not on the homepage?

All in all, it seems to me the information flow issue can be easily resolved: by having one page (the gathering.org homepage) for news and cuddly journalism, and having a big yellow button with "tech" or "info" or similar right there on the front page. There were many pieces of important info that went missing in the flood of journalistic entries, and having a separate, but easily available and always visible, page for crucial info could make it much easier for attendees to find relevant stuff. If I'm sitting on my seat, I care more for schedules, feeds and competitions than "flashbacks", "romance at TG" and "who's arne". So in short: divide and conquer.

Thanks for your reply! I had a suspicion the decision to use Twitch was that of higher coverage over live coverage.
That being said, and pertaining to a different problem altogether, information on the alternatives and options regarding coverage, was not very well showcased. Did the unicast feed run on the "tgtv"-site? Was it announced in a tech blog, but not on the homepage?

As far as i can remember, there mainly was Twitch streams being embedded on the TGTV-site, but if you have a look closely, there is a link per stream to open it in VLC aswell as "More VLC-streams". Those are for Tech's unicast streams (It is down now ofcourse, since it was hosted in the Vikingship.)

All in all, it seems to me the information flow issue can be easily resolved: by having one page (the gathering.org homepage) for news and cuddly journalism, and having a big yellow button with "tech" or "info" or similar right there on the front page. There were many pieces of important info that went missing in the flood of journalistic entries, and having a separate, but easily available and always visible, page for crucial info could make it much easier for attendees to find relevant stuff. If I'm sitting on my seat, I care more for schedules, feeds and competitions than "flashbacks", "romance at TG" and "who's arne". So in short: divide and conquer.

I kinda agree with you. Luckily the things you mention have their own subpages with only that information available, (Schedule, competitions, general information etc.) but i see your point of having a reminder on the frontpage.
There still is a link for the unofficial techblog on gathering.org. but it is kinda hidden in the navigation. (http://technical.gathering.org)